It was a wet and windy evening as the Vashon High School girls’ soccer team took on the Cascade Cougars in front of some faithful fans on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The two teams have already met once this season, with the Pirates losing 4-0 at Sunset Stadium in Sumner. Due to changes in the Nisqually League rules, that first game did not impact league standings, and both teams were fighting for this important win.
Unlike in most games this season, Vashon struggled to gain possession in the first ten minutes. Junior and co-captain, Lillith Provo, had to head away a shot from a Cougar set piece, and senior goalkeeper, Nya Hart, had to make the first of a half a dozen saves in just the first ten minutes.
Vashon finally managed to get some shots in when freshman, Lana Antonelis, sent in a cross to fellow freshman, Evie Serebryakov in the box in the 13th minute. The shot was cleared, and sophomore, Josie Reiling sent another shot right back in to the Cascade keeper’s arms.
Both teams traded possession and goal-scoring opportunities for about twenty minutes. Cascade’s defense, familiar with Antonelis’ speed down the right side of the field, did a commendable job shutting down that option for the Pirates.
The game started to get more interesting when Serebryakov won a free kick for the Pirates in the 34th minute, not too far out of the box. Junior and co-captain, Isa Knowler, took the kick, finding Provo and Antonelis, but the ball was eventually cleared out for a corner kick by a Cougar defender.
Reiling stepped up for the corner kick, which was easily cleared away for another corner. This time, Reiling played a short ball to Serebryakov, who then sent it into the box for Provo. Keeping her composure, Provo found the far corner, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead just before the half.
The Cougars came out much more aggressively in the second half and would have equalized in the first minute if Hart had not come off her line to shut down their attack. Just one minute later, the Pirates won another fortuitous free kick, which Knowler again took. Although Provo was able to get a touch on it, Cascade was able to clear it, Reiling immediately sent the ball back in, this time finding Serebryakov, who was able to turn immediately and shoot.
Cries for a hand ball rang out, and the referee awarded a penalty kick to Vashon in the 41st minute. Serebryakov stepped up for the kick and was able to double the Pirates’ lead.
Down by two points, the Cougars patiently waited for an opportunity for a comeback, and in the 48th minute sent a ball into the box to an unmarked player to easily make the score 2-1. Despite being gifted a free kick just outside the box just two minutes later, the Pirates were unable to extend their lead and scrambled to meet the Cougars’ counterattack off a throw-in. After beating Vashon’s defense, Cascade’s attacker faced Hart
“1v1” — a soccer term referring to play reduced to a one-on-one showdown between for an attacker and a goalie.
Hart, staying on her line, was unable to block the shot, and the score was level at 2-2.
Both teams struggled to control the ball in the increasingly wet conditions, and throw-ins and corner kicks punctuated the game. Heading into the last ten minutes, Pirate fans were simply hoping Vashon could end the game in a draw.
But in the 69th minute, a Cougar sent in what appeared to be a cross from distance but ended up finding the goal instead. Vashon’s keeper managed to get her hands on the ball, but it slipped through, making the score 3-2 in Cascade’s favor.
Vashon struggled to mount any attacks for the remainder of the match and reluctantly gave up the win. Once again, the team has shown improvement since the start of the season, but this loss obviously hurt the players. The Pirates are headed out on the road for five games, but will return home to face Klahowya on Thursday, Oct. 16.
Jenni Wilke is an educator who covers girls soccer for The Beachcomber.
